Chamber News

Current news & news events

The Adopt-A-Class program is a partnership between Ozark School District and Chamber of Commerce. The program pairs a local business with an Ozark School District classroom based on the business’s preference and interests.

Tips:

Meet with your teacher before your first visit to discuss curriculum and expectations

Visit the class a minimum of twice a year — once in the fall and once in the spring.

Curriculum possibilities are endless.

You can incorporate something from your own business. For example, in past years Blue Monkey Towing has flipped a car for students and the Christian County Headliner News has helped student write and design a newspaper of their own.

Sometimes just visiting your class and talking about your business is plenty.

There is also free material online. Junior Achievement offers step-by-step lesson plans for classroom visits. Junior Achievement also offers tips for working with students and preparing for the classroom visit. Learn more at www.juniorachievement.org.

OZARK, Mo. — Ozark has a new assistant – just “ask Alexa.” The good news is, Alexa does not ask for a raise, take vacation or call in sick.

VoiceXP, an Amazon Technology Partner company, has debuted an exclusive Amazon Alexa Skill featuring the City of Ozark, Ozark Chamber of Commerce, and Show Me Christian County. The Skill is the only one in the U.S. to feature a multifaceted municipality.

The Skill will use Alexa voice technology to deliver information about Ozark’s events, locations of interest, city services, and more on the Amazon Echo platform. More than 40 million Amazon Echo devices exist in homes and businesses across the U.S.

The Alexa Skill helps position Ozark as a leader in the tech sector, particularly in voice technology.

“We are committed to growing Christian County businesses using voice in this area. We want to make Missouri the epicenter for voice disruption,” said Bob Stolzberg, VoiceXP CEO.

“What is very unique about this particular Skill is it affects the City, the County, and the Chamber. This is the first time in the world those three entities have come together to form a skill and have that be noted out on the Amazon platform,” said Bonnie Snyder, managing partner and director of business sales at VoiceXP.

USE THE SKILL

To enable the Skill, activate your Amazon Echo by saying “Alexa, start City of Ozark, Missouri.” The Skill will then become enabled on your Echo device, with prompts for which questions to ask and what information is available.

Sample questions to ask Alexa include but are not limited to:

What is there to do in Ozark?

Tell me about the historic district.

Tell me about the schools in Ozark.

Where is the Farmers Market?

Why do people come to Ozark?

Where is the nearest airport?

What city services does Ozark offer?

Amazon’s Echo platform currently holds more than 70% of the voice market share, with additional platforms like Google Home and Microsoft’s Cortana sharing the remaining market. According to Stolzberg, voice technology is predicted to be present in more than 75% of American homes by the year 2020.

Ozark wants to be on the leading edge of that growth.

“We want to showcase the tech innovation that’s possible in Ozark,” said Snyder. “We have the connectivity, infrastructure, and technology base. You don’t have to live in Chicago to create new developments in tech; you can innovate right here.”

VoiceXP offices from the Carl G. Hefner Enterprise Center in Ozark, Mo. The Alexa Skill “City of Ozark, Missouri” was created by VoiceXP in partnership with the City of Ozark, the Ozark Chamber of Commerce, and the Show Me Christian County economic development organization.

The Ozark Chamber of Commerce is seeking a dynamic, energetic, and charismatic Office Coordinator to join our team. The Ozark Chamber strengthens Ozark through economic impact, community enrichment, and individual connection. The Chamber is an active and highly respected organization with approximately 450 members.

This part-time position will be 20-30 hours per week depending on work load, events, and Director scheduling. Normal working hours are 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. Working hours may be adjusted depending on the needs of your department and/or the Chamber.

JOB DESCRIPTION

POSITION:Office Coordinator

REPORTS TO:Executive Director

CLASSIFICATION:Non-Exempt

COMPENSATION:Based on experience

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned:

Handle all office related tasks including answering phone calls and walk in visits, responding to email requests for information, mailing out information and updating general information for volunteers

Responsible for Accounts Receivable and Payable for the Ozark Chamber of Commerce and Carl G. Hefner Enterprise Center

Perform reception and administrative duties in an efficient, professional, and courteous manner

Answer visitor and member questions in a positive and welcoming manner

Manage and restock Chamber resource center with community information

Assist Chamber staff with daily errands of the Ozark Chamber of Commerce and the Carl G. Hefner Enterprise Center

Control and maintain office supplies and inventory of equipment and service contracts

SHARED DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned:

Coordinate membership activities with the team – First Friday Coffees, Good Afternoon Ozark Luncheons, Working Ozark Women Luncheons, TIE Tuesday Business After Hours, Ozark Community Awards Banquet, Showcase Ozark Expo, Golf Tournament, Block Party, City Wide Garage Sale, State of the Community Dinner, Annual Christmas Parade, New Member Orientation

Complete assigned activities, projects, or promotions within the prescribed time limits allowed

Education and/or Experience:

Minimum of two – four (2-4) years of work experience in a professional office environment. Associates degree or higher preferred.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Demonstrates a sense of vision for the mission of the Ozark Chamber of Commerce and the Carl G. Hefner Enterprise Center

Communication (Oral and Written) – Conveys information persuasively in positive or negative situations, demonstrates group presentation skills and excellent interpersonal skills. At ease with handling negotiations. Ability to work comfortably and effectively with Board members, volunteers, peers, and organizations in multiple industries.

Excellent influencing skills and ability to develop and maintain good relationships.

Proficient in Microsoft Office Products including Power Point; typing at least 65 WPM

Experience with the following is preferred: Quickbooks, Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides)

Performance Appraisal:

There is a six month probationary period for this position. A formal employee evaluation will be conducted at the end of each 90 days to review goals and determine achievement thereof. Evaluations may also occur on an as-needed basis as determined by the Executive Director.

We’re giving away $25 in $BeOzarkBuck$! To enter, comment #BeOzark on THIS POST. Share the post to be entered twice.

The winner will be announced after 3:00 pm on Friday, Feb. 24. Good luck!

CONTEST RULES:

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. This giveaway, hosted by the Ozark Chamber of Commerce, is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook.

1. Eligibility: This campaign is open only to those who comment “#BeOzark” on the Ozark Chamber’s Facebook post announcing the giveaway. Employees of the Ozark Chamber of Commerce and immediate family members of Ozark Chamber employees are not eligible to participate. The giveaway is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited.

3. Prizes: The winner will receive a gift certificate worth $25 in $BeOzarkBuck$, the Ozark Chamber’s community cash program. The specifics of the prize shall be solely determined by the Ozark Chamber of Commerce. Acceptance of the prize constitutes permission for the Ozark Chamber to use the winner’s name, likeness, and entry for purposes of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.

4. Odds: The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

5. Winner Selection and Notification: Winner will be selected by a random drawing under the supervision of the Ozark Chamber of Commerce. The winner will be notified through a post on the Ozark Chamber of Commerce Facebook page announcing the winner within five (5) days following selection of the winner. If the winner cannot be contacted or fails to claim the prize within seven (7) days from the time award notification was sent, the prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner selected.

6. Terms & Conditions: The Ozark Chamber of Commerce reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Campaign should virus, bug, non-authorized human intervention, fraud, or other cause beyond the Ozark Chamber’s control corrupt or affect the proper conduct of the Campaign. The Ozark Chamber of Commerce reserves the right to disqualify any individual who tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or violates these Terms & Conditions.

7. Sponsor: The sponsor of the campaign is the Ozark Chamber of Commerce (1471 W. South St, Ozark, MO 65721).

Congratulations to Family Pharmacy, one of our Ozark Chamber Impact members! Readers of the Springfield News-Leader recently named Family Pharmacy as “Best of the Ozarks – Drug Store/Pharmacy.” Family Pharmacy has been an involved, integral part of Ozark and Southwest Missouri for decades and we congratulate them on this honor.

From a media release:

“Family Pharmacy was recently selected as the top choice by over 150,000 votes cast in the News-Leader‘s annual ‘Best of the Ozarks’ readers poll. In the Ozarks, Family Pharmacy was the top choice for the best Drug Store/Pharmacy, beating out several national chains, as well as other area independent pharmacies.”

We were so excited to host the first-ever Miss Merry Christmas pageant on Saturday, Nov. 12! Megan Percival, 17, was crowned as the winner.

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Megan was sponsored by Ozark Satellite and performed a color guard routine to “Once Upon a December.” As Miss Merry Christmas, Megan will represent Ozark on Nov. 19 in the Ozark Christmas Parade and at community events throughout the upcoming year.

A $375 scholarship will be applied directly to Megan’s college or university of choice. She intends to become a veterinarian.

These contestants are already fantastic representatives of Ozark and Christian County. We had a blast and loved working with these girls!

We want to extend a special thanks to our judges, to the Ozark R-VI School District for the use of their offices, Wheeler Gardens for the gorgeous decorations, Backwoods Graphics for the contestants’ sponsor sashes, and of course the contestants’ sponsors. We couldn’t have done it without your support.

About Megan Percival
Megan is involved in color guard at Ozark High School and has received numerous academic awards for her 4.0+ GPA. She enjoys woodburning/pyrography, conservation, writing, and volunteer work. She is currently job shadowing at Ozark Veterinary Clinic to prepare for her future. Her goal is to complete veterinary school and practice on exotic animals.

Ozark, MO, August 9, 2016—Ozark Chamber of Commerce today announced plans to strengthen and grow its Buy Local program by partnering with Conpoto, a Michigan-based Community Currency software firm.

Ozark will use Conpoto’s cloud-based software to help fuel the local spending, providing an online platform for local gifting that competes effectively with big box retailers and credit card companies. The chamber is naming its program $BeOzarkBuck$.

$BeOzarkBuck$ will be available for purchse from the chamber’s website September 1, 2016. The chamber will use

the program to drive local spending by connecting merchant members with large employers,

providing a community gifting alternative for client recognition, employee incentive and recognition giving.

“The Chamber of Commerce is all about making our community successful,” said Andrea Sitzes, Ozark Chamber executive director. “With community currency, we can show visibly how we’re working to keep dollars circulating within our own community.”

Conpoto has been working with Great Lakes region chambers for more than a year, bolstering

membership and community.

“Community Currency drives business and revenue to Main Street retailers by making it easier

“Conpoto thinks like a technology company, but we all bleed local. Helping chambers like Ozark realize the rewards of a fully functioning Buy Local machine is what ignites our passion for work every day.”

About Conpoto, LLC

Based in Holland, Mich., Conpoto is a cloud-based community currency software built for

chambers of commerce and membership organizations to fuel their local economies. Conpoto’s

technology drives local spending and serves as the foundation for buy local campaigns in

Wednesday, June 15th, 2016, McDonald’s in Ozarks and Nixa will host a fund raising event to support Freedom’s Rest Shelter for women and children of domestic violence.

From 8 AM till 5 PM (or while supplies last) on Wednesday, June 15th, guests can make a donation to the Freedom’s Rest shelter and receive 2 free tickets ($49 value) to Party in the Park featuring The Ozark Mountain Daredevils. Tickets will be available while supplies last at The Ozark Chamber of Commerce at 1471 W. South Street, too.

“Freedom’s Rest would like to extend our appreciation and gratitude to McDonald’s, US Baseball Park, The Ozark Chamber of Commerce and The Ozark Mountain Daredevils for helping us to raise the funds to continue providing this much needed resource for our community.” Said Freedom’s Rest-Christie Drew, Executive Board President

FREEDOM’S REST: After a recent struggle to keep their doors open, Freedom’s Rest is still operating to provide 24/7 shelter and resources to women and children who are faced with domestic violence, sexual assault and sex trafficking situations. The average operating costs are $172,000 per year, which breaks down to $500 a day. This is a proven crucial resources in the community with a reported 556 cases of domestic violence reported in Christian County in 2015 alone. This is almost 2 per day. As any not-for-profit, they are funded by grants, but rely largely on community support and donations. They are currently working on a long term plan of sustainability with the hopes for future growth of resources for the women and children they serve.

For media interviews about the continuing plight to keep Freedom’s Rest open for victims of domestic violence and this fund raising event contact: Freedom’s Rest-Christie Drew, Executive Board President 417-720-9859

CONCERT DETAILS: Party in the Park-Featuring the Ozark Mountain Daredevils to be held Friday, June 17th at 7:00 PM at the all new US Baseball Park located at 4400 N 19th Street in Ozark.

Join Us March 2 for “Successful Facebook Marketing for Your Business” – Programming Available through the Carl G. Hefner Enterprise Center and University of Missouri Extension Office Small Business Technology & Development Center – At The OC Wednesday March 2, 2016 Facebook is the world’s largest social network — and marketing on it has become more effective than ever. It has also become more complicated. Come learn “Successful Facebook Marketing for Your Business” on March 2, 2016 from 2:00pm-4:00pm at the Ozark OC, located at 1530 W. Jackson Street, Ozark.

This informative class we will help you understand the difference between organic (non-paid) and paid marketing. Kimberly Beer, a national speaker and advocate for entrepreneurship and small business marketing will explore how to use both in a well-rounded Facebook marketing campaign to successfully promote your products and services, build brand awareness, and connect with customers.

The cost to attend the workshop is $25 for Ozark Chamber members and $35 for non-members. Advanced registration is requested. Click Here to Register Today!

To receive additional information and to register, call the Ozark Chamber & Carl G. Hefner Enterprise Center at 417-581-6139, or by email at info@ozarkchamber.com.

The MO SBTDC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. University of Missouri Extension programs focus on the high-priority needs of Missourians. Each county extension center, with oversight by locally elected and appointed citizens, is your local link to practical education on almost anything.